At the 19th session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Oslo, Norway, the Armenian delegation member Artak Davtyan (Republican Party of Armenia - RPA) presented a resolution approved by the majority. Thirty-one Parliament members from 17 countries, including Germany, Croatia, Ukraine, Russia, Canada, Kazakhstan Austria, voted for the resolution. The resolution deals with the responsibility of the OSCE member-states in the energy supply sector. The first point of the 7-point resolution says that energy security is one of the major components of the world policy. Davtyan singled out the 4th point as the most important one. The point prohibits the OSCE member-states from using their energy resources as a means of political pressure.
“Our neighbors’ policy immediately involves the exports of hydrocarbons. They state they will accumulate huge funds to use them for military purposes in the future,” Davtyan said.
He also emphasized Point 5. With the energy market expanding and getting diversified throughout the OSCE and new communication lines formed, each country’s role as an energy supplier is increasing.
Armenia’s “friends” are doing their best for Armenia to remain outside energy projects. This point of the resolution is a hint to the OSCE member-states to be ready to accept heavier responsibility, Davtyan said. According to him, the participants reckoned the resolution as a balanced and unprecedented one. They pointed out the need for the OSCE member-states to honor all the resolutions on energy security they adopt. The Azeri delegation disliked the statement. One of the delegation members stated that Armenians must leave the “occupied Azerbaijani territories” if they want to receive energy carriers from Azerbaijan. The participants pointed out that hi statement was irrelevant. The resolution was approved by the OSCE PA Committee and at the plenary session.
As to whether the resolution might influence the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Davtyan pointed out that it should not be linked with the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. The document is not aimed against any country. It can be referred to in any negotiation process.
This is the first resolution Armenia has managed to push through the OSCE.
The OSCE PA held its 19th session on July 6-10. Over 300 delegates from 56 countries participated in the session.
